Clam-shell bucket.



No. 755,912; PATENTED MAR. '29, 1904.

I, w. K. MONROE.

GLAM' SHELL BUCKET.

APPLIOATIOH FILED 001.7, 1903.

no MODEL.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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PATENTED MAR. 29, 1904. W. K. MONROE. I GLAM SHELL BUCKET.

APPLICATION nun 00121. 1903.

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N0 MODEL.

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No. 755,912. PATENTED MAR. 29, 1904- W. K. MONROE.

GLAM SHELL BUCKET.

APPLIOATION FILED 0012.7, 1903.

N0 MODEL. a SHEETS-SHEET a.

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THE "cams PETERS co. FHOTQLITNOH WASNINGYON, 0.1:.

Iiatented March 29, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILL K. MONROE. OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

CLAM-SHELL BUCKET.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 755,912, dated March 29, 1904.

Application filed October 7, 1903- To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILL K. MONROE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clam Shell Buckets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to clam-shell or grab of power and time than has been requiredwith devices heretofore employed.

The class of devices commonly known as clam-shell or grab buckets to which this invention relates comprises a pair of oppositely-disposed scoops adapted to swing apart to release their contents and to be brought together upon the pile of material to be moved, so that their opposing edges cut into said material,thereby filling the said scoops and form ing a single receptacle, which is then hoisted away from the pile.

The present invention consists in improved means for supporting and operating the scoops, whereby the cutting edges of the same are -swung in a long flat curve approximating to horizontal as the edges approach each other, while the scoops are suspended in such a manner that their constantly-varying angular .positions during their advance toward each other facilitates both the introduction of their cutting edges into the mass of material to be moved and the flowing of said material into the scoops. This feature,= together with the direct application of the closing-chains shown herein, results in a considerable reduction in the power required for operating this class of buckets. The suspension means also forms positive guides and stops for the front edges of the scoops,preventing their being displaced latterally in closing or overlapping each other. The invention further consists in improved means for opening the bucket to a wide angle 5 with a comparativelyslight dropping thereof,

the sides of the scoops.

Serial No. 176,071. (No model.)

and the scoops are designed to relieve themselves of an excessiveload of material.

An embodiment ofmy invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

which Figure I is a side elevation showing the bucket closed. Fig. II is a side elevation with the bucket open. Fig. III is an end elevation of the closed bucket and operating mechanism, and Fig. IV is a plan view of the same. Fig.

- V is a view of the levers 10 and r in end elevat-ion.

Referring to the drawings, the framework for supporting the bucket and operating mechanism comprises a top plate a, two depending side plates 6, and gusset-plates 0 upon the ends. A shaft d is mounted centrally in the frame projecting through the side plates Z) and rigidly keyed or otherwise secured thereto. Mounted loosely upon the shaft 01 is a sheave-wheel e, which carries upon each end of its hub a chain-wheel f. A cable g is secured to and passes around the periphery of the wheel 6, and from thence, guided I by the idler-wheel h, it is carried to one of the drums of a suitable hoisting-engine.

The bucket a comprisestwo approximately rectangular scoops j and If, with the edges of their open front ends designed to register with each other when the bucket is closed, as in Fig. I. Mounted in suitable hangers projecting slightly above the sides and near the rear ends of the respective scoops are transverse shafts'l, and suitably mounted between the sides of each scoop well forward thereon and near the upper edges thereof is a transverse shaft m. The shafts m are rigidly secured to The shafts Z are preferably made tight in their hangers and project therethrough to form journals for the four suspension-arms n, the upper ends of said arms being journaled upon pins 0, projecting outward from the frame-plates 6 near the upper ends and flanking the center lines of the latter,'as shown. A pair of elbow-levers p is attached to each scoop j and 7c, the inner arms thereof being secured upon the shafts m and their outer arms upon the shafts Z. The vertices of said elbow-levers are respectively journaled upon pins 9, carried by the swinging ends of the double-armed levers '1', and the elbow-levers are fitted to swing closely between the arms of the levers 1" to prevent lateral displacement of the scoops. 5 The hubs of the levers r are loosely mounted upon the transverse shafts s and t, two of said levers upon each of said shafts, and suitable collars are provided to hold them in place. The shafts s and t project through and are fastened rigidly to the frame-plates 6 adjacent to the lower ends of the latter and at such equal distances from the center line that when the bucket e is closed the inner arms of the elbowlevers 12 will abut against the hubs of the double-armed levers respectively, so as to prevent injury or overlapping of the opposing edges of the scoops j and 7c.

Upon each end of the hub of the sheavewheel a is secured the ends of two chains 16 and- 0), designed and arranged, as plainly shown, so thatupon the rotation of said wheel in one direction said chains will wrap about said hub and upon themselves. The two chains it lead around the respective idlerwheels 20, mounted loosely upon the shaft 6, and are suitably secured at their lower ends to the shaft m of the scoop j, and the two chains o lead around idlerfwheels m, similarly mounted upon the shaft 8, and are secured to the shaft m of the scoop it. It will be observed that should the mechanism be suspended upon the cable 9 the weight of the device will serve to close the bucket i, as in Fig. I.

Fixedly secured to the side plates Z) of the frame equidistant from the center line thereof are two transverse shafts y and 2, having journaled, respectively, between fixed collars thereon segmental sheave wheels 1 and 2. Cables 3 and 4 are secured to the peripheries of the respective segmental wheels near the lower ends thereof and are carried through the peripheral grooves of said wheels and around their respective idler-wheels and 6, journaled in the top of the frame, and thence to the drums of a suitable hoisting-engine. The said cables 3 and4c may be yoked together above the idler-wheels and suspended by a single cable leading to the hoisting-engine, if desired. Hinged, preferably, to short arms projecting radially from the lower ends of the segmental wheels, respectively, are short links 7 and 8, the outer ends of which are journaled upon the respective shafts Z of the scoops.

In the operation of the device it will now be readily understood that the apparatus being suspended by the cables 3 and 4, the cable g being slack, the mechanism will through its own weight assume the position shown in Fig. II, with the scoops j and It held wide apart. Should it now be lowered upon a pile of material to be moved and a pull exerted upon the cable g, while at the same time the cables 3 and 4 are slacked 01f, the cable 9 instead of lifting the entire apparatus at once will re- 5 volve the sheave-wheel e, winding up the horizontal as the scoops approach each other,

as indicated by the dotted line in Fig. II, which curve, together with the angular positions of the scoops throughout their travel, obviously facilitates the introduction therein of the material to be moved. For use in soft or granular material it is preferred to cut away a portion of the upper parts of the outer ends of the scoops, as shown in Fig. III, so that the bucket will readily relieve itself of any excessive load which it may gather up.

Modifications and changes may be made in the details of the mechanism herein disclosed without departing from the spirit of my invention, provided the principles of construction set forth, respectively, in the following claims are employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention 1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a bucket comprising two oppositely-disposed scoops, of a frame having power-transmission mechanism mounted therein, swinging arms depending from said frame and supporting the outer ends of said scoops, lever-arms rotatably supported at their lower ends near the bottom of said frame, suitable supporting-arms of said scoops hinged respectively to the upper ends of said leverarms, and suitable means for opening and closing said bucket, substantially as set forth.

2. 1n apparatus of the class described, the combination with a bucket comprising two oppositely-disposed scoops, of a frame'having power-transmission mechanism mounted therein, swinging arms depending from said frame and supporting the outer ends of said scoops, bifurcated lever-arms rotatably supported at their lower ends near the bottom of said frame, suitable supporting-arms of said scoops hinged respectively to the upper ends and between the branches of said bifurcated arms, and suitable means for opening and closing said bucket, substantially as set forth.

3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a bucket comprising a pair of scoops adapted to form a single receptacle, of a frame having power-transmission mechanism. mounted therein, swinging arms depend,- ing from said frame and supporting the outer ends of said scoops, lever-arms rotatably supported at their lower ends near the bottom of said frame, elbow-levers hinged respectively at their vertices to the upper ends of said lever-arms and having their branches secured to said scoops near the outer and inner ends of the latter respectively, and suitable means for opening and closing said bucket, substantially as set forth.

4. In apparatus of the class described,\ the combination with a bucket comprising a pair of scoops adapted to forma single receptacle, of a frame having power-transmission mechanism mounted therein, swinging arms depend-' ing from said frame and supporting the outer ends of said scoops, a pair of transverse shafts secured in the lower end of said frame, a pair of hubs having double projecting arms and rotatably secured upon each of said shafts, suitable supporting-arrns of said scoops hinged between the double arms of said hubs respectively and adapted to abut against the said hubs when said bucket is closed, and suitable means for opening and closing said bucket, substantially as set forth. 1

5. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a bucket comprising a pair of oppositely-disposed scoops,and a frame provided with suitable swinging arms for suspending the outer ends of said scoops therefrom, of lever-arms journaled at their lower ends near the bottom of said frame, supporting-arms of said scoops hinged respectively to the upper ends of said lever-arms, a power wheel mounted in said frame provided with means for rotating it, chain-wheels upon the hub of said power-wheel, chains secured at their upper ends to said chain-wheels adapted to wrap thereon and having their lower ends 3 secured respectively to the upper and inner portions of said scoops, suitable guide-wheels for said chains, and means for opening said bucket, substantially as set forth.

6. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a bucket comprising a pair of oppositely-disposed scoops, of a frame having a power-wheel mounted therein provided with suitable means for closing said bucket, swinging arms depending from said frame and supporting the outer ends of said scoops, lever-arms journaled at their lower ends near the bottom of said frame, supporting-arms of said scoops hinged respectively to the upper ends of said leverarms, segmental'wheels mounted one in each end of said frame and means for rotating them, and operative connections between the lower ends of said segmental wheels and the outer ends of the respective scoops, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, at Cleveland, Ohio, this 1st day of October, 1903.

WILL K. MONROE.

Witnesses: J No. T. SULLIVAN,

JOHN LINDEN. 

